The present invention relates to fluid reservoirs and specifically to reservoir assemblies including switches for making or breaking an electrical signal based upon the fluid level in the reservoir. In many applications, it is desirable to monitor the level of fluid in a reservoir. Furthermore, it is desirable to make or break an electrical signal when the amount of fluid in the reservoir drops to a predetermined level.
In the design of prior art reservoir assemblies, it was necessary to determine the position of the reservoir outlet fitting during the assembly of the reservoir assembly. Once positioned in the prior art design, the orientation of the outlet fitting is fixed and can not be changed. This results in the necessity of manufacturing and stocking a variety of reservoir assemblies, each having a different position for the outlet fitting. There exists a need for a reservoir assembly where the position or orientation of the outlet fitting can be easily changed after the reservoir assembly is manufactured thereby eliminating the need to manufacture and stock multiple reservoir assemblies each having a different outlet fitting position.
Prior art reservoir assemblies also utilize switch housings made from multiple components that must be securely connected to one another. This is typically accomplished with adhesives, press fits and threaded connections. The various components are also commonly formed from different materials. The resulting switch housing is not only costly to manufacture, but also provides a number of areas where the connection could fail thus leading to a fluid leak. There also exists a need for a one-piece integrally formed switch housing for use in a reservoir assembly.